Frost Flowers

On that first really cold
morning of the year when
the air is crisp and temperatures
hover below freezing, if
you happen to be strolling
in the woods or near a creek
where frostweed grows, you
may get to see nature’s
unusual ice sculptures,
the frost flowers.

Looking like spun glass
or cotton candy, these fragile
creations, which are really
not flowers at all, last
only until the warm rays
of the morning sun melt
them away. Since their formation
and disappearance cover
such a short period of time
each year, few people have
seen them or even know of
their existence.

Frost flowers form only when the ground temperature is warm enough for the plant's root system to be active and the air temperature is cold enough to freeze the upward-flowing plant juices. The freezing juices may split open a whole section of stem and push out in a side-curling sheet, or it may emerge from small slits and form long, ribbonlike strands or flowerlike clusters.

Frost flowers develop when
air temperatures are freezing
but the ground still is
warm enough for the plant’s
root system to be active.
Plant juices flow from these
roots up into the stem,
where the cold air freezes
them. As the moisture in
the plant freezes, the ice
crystals push out through
the stem. They may emerge
from a small slit to form
thin ribbonlike strands
or they may split open a
whole section of the stem
and push out in a thin,
curling sheet. Sometimes
several ribbons of ice push
out to create a flowerlike
petal effect. As long as
the juices flow, air temperatures
remain low, and the plant
is shaded from the sun,
these ice crystals continue
to form.

Only a few species of plants
are capable of producing
these icy creations. The
frostweed, Verbesinia virginica,
which commonly occurs in
Texas, is one of them. These
waist- to shoulder-high
plants grow in dense patches
in the moist, shaded soil
of river or creek bottoms
and form heavy undergrowths
in the shade of large trees.
This plant also is known
as Indian tobacco and tickweed
because the dried leaves
were once used by Indians
as tobacco and people walking
through the plants invariably
gather a few seed ticks.

Backlit by the sun, the ice crystal threads of frozen plant juices take on a golden glow. What a shame the first sun rays that contribute to this frost flower's beauty also destroy it.

Only a few species of plants
are capable of producing
these icy creations. The
frostweed, Verbesinia virginica,
which commonly occurs in
Texas, is one of them. These
waist- to shoulder-high
plants grow in dense patches
in the moist, shaded soil
of river or creek bottoms
and form heavy undergrowths
in the shade of large trees.
This plant also is known
as Indian tobacco and tickweed
because the dried leaves
were once used by Indians
as tobacco and people walking
through the plants invariably
gather a few seed ticks.

If you want to enjoy the
frost flowers in person
this year, locate some
of the frostweed plants
before cold weather arrives.
Then, early on that first
really cold morning when
the temperatures dip below
freezing, go back to see
if frost flowers are “blooming.” Take
along your camera and some
flash bulbs so you can
share your frost flowers
with others who don’t
get a chance to see them.
Be sure to go early, because
they’ll probably
be gone by nine.